Former Espanyol and Southampton player Jacinto Ela has made an appeal to Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele.

In an open letter posted to social media, Ela urged Dembele to start taking his career more seriously:

"I write this letter because I went on Twitter during Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund and found this tweet by Albert Owono tweet: "I can't believe you, Ousmane."

"I knew right away that it was another muscular injury. I didn't need to look for more information, but on Twitter you were already trending.

"Speculation began about the kind of life you lead. I imagine you are used to it. But it is inevitable," Ela stated.

"When I saw the video of you leaving the field in tears it was not hard for me to put myself in your position. I know what muscle injuries are. They are like car breakdowns to a poor family: they never come at the best time."

Ela then went on to give some personal advice to the Frenchman.

"Forget about recovering as soon as possible. Play when you're ready," Ela wrote.

"Disconnect from social media for a while," he also added.

"Why do you need them if all of your friends live with you? This is another matter: I don't know why you live with so many friends. Is there nobody else who sees that this is not good [for you], or do you not care?

"To throw them out of your house does not mean throwing them out of your life. I understand that you need to be supported, but you should start thinking like an adult.

"It is not easy at your age, I recognise it, but you have to get a bit bored to get to your best," he said.